Little Falls transcript., 1887-03-04
MR.. BRANDT'S WEDDING.

tion not unheard OF in fiction. and
common enough for that matter IN
real life-a beautiful girl with two low
BIS, one middle-aged and wealthy, ia
vored by the girls father; the other,
younger and favored by the girl her
self. 1t is always the younger man
who gets the girls ear in these cases,
and it is always the middle-aged man
who secures papa's ,interest-proba-
bly, if he were not able, to do so he
would be out OF the running altogeth-
er.
The only pecullarities in the pres
ant case were that the girl was par
ticulary pretty and the niddle-aged
suiter particularly Objectionable.
Kate Thompson was sure that Mr..
Brandt wore wig, and that was the
least OF his enormities He was a
German, as his name betokened, and
he was fat fair and forty. He was
we'll off or papa would not have had
anything to say for him--indeed he
was more than we'll of. schmitz,
Brandt & Hernblatt were bankers,
money-changers, commission agents
and great many things besides; and
they prospered as Germans do some
how prosper, even in this over-popu-
lated country.
Joseph Thompson, who traded all
by himself under the style of 'Thomp-
son u Co.. was a. very much smaller
man, and he felt considerably pleased
when the wealthy German banker be-
gan to pay his addresses to his daugh-
ter. If beauty only were considered in
these matters, as in the old fairy-tale
days, Kate Thompson might have
married a prince. Her mother had
been a lady, and she had given her
child share OF highly organized ma
ture as we'll as her beauty. Kate always
appeared among girls OF her own rank
like a princess in disguise.
This at least was the opinion OF Mr..
Frederick Winter. In his capacity OF
friend of Miss Thompson's brother
Tom, young Winter had the right OF
admission TO Mr.. Thompson's house;
and this privilege he used so we'll
that while Herr Brandt was open
ing his eyes to the fact that his friend
Thompson's daughter was remark.
ably fine girl, Fred had already ad-
vanced q long way in Kate's good
opinion. 1t SO happened that Winter
was one Of the clerks in Brandt's Of
lice, but neither Fred nor his employ
'er knew that the other was acquaint-
ed with the object Of his admiration.
1t Was not till after regular period
of boquet-presenting and compliments
that Mr.. Brandt made his proposal,
and great was his astonishment when
he found that Kate refused him. At
first he would not believe that such q
thing WAS possible, and took. or af-
fected to take, the girls timid words
as n1erel Y the affect Of maidpnly coy
ness, not to be und rstood seriously.
"Oh no, my dear young lady, you
do not mean it, you are taken by sur
prise, perhaps; you want time to re-
fleet. will speak of this again-say
next week."
"lndeed, you are mistaken, Mr..
Brandt" said Kate, with more spirit,
,"l respect you very much as papa's
tfriend, but l cnnnot marry you.
Please let us say no more about the
smatter." And with these 'rds the
girl cIeverly escaped from the room
and closed the door behind her.
A remarkably ugly look came over
the Germans face at this moment.
"Soh' My fine mees; we-shall-see!'
he exclaimed through his teeth.
His first care was to seek out Kate's
{ather and lay the matter before him.
thompson, poor man, was nightly
disturbed. He saw that the banker
was seriously offended, and he was q
dangerous man to offend. So, as the
readiest way out OF the difficulty, he
made light OF his daughters decision,
said she was certain to change her
mind, and added that her Judgment
was disturbed by little Irritation she
had been carrying on with a young
fellow called Winter, but he would see
that was put q stop to.
"Winter!" echoed the banker. II
have q young man OF that name in
my Office. 1t cannot be he, surely?
No, no; it would be too absurd"
"Upon my word I can't say, but
think it very likely. I'll ask Tom"
Tom could not deny that his friend
and Messrs. Schmitz, Brandt & Hern.
blatt's junior-assistant ledger clerl
were the same man. and the banker
soon proceeded to sweep the unlucky
young clerk out ofhis way. He dis.
missed young Winter the next morn
ing with q months salary, without
assigning any reason, and sent him to
join the great melancholy army Of the
unemployed. -.4-
Mr.. Brandt waited q few weeks and
then renewed the assault. BY this
time Mr.. Thompson had had several
interviews with his daughter, without
any satisfactory result. 81
'No, / can never marry Fred, papa,
especially now that he has lost his
situation, said Kate, all fiushed and
tear.stained, her hair rumpled and her
collar awry, "but rs for marrying
that odious fat German i would rath-
er poison myself Upon which the
little man who was the head of the
house o. Thompson groaned aloud,
and looked forward to his interview
with the banker with no small trepi-
xakinn $s5 SzzLIfh7 rs